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    Zaya

    4.1 (380 reviews)
    Closed 5:00 pm - 12:00 am (Next day)
    Updated 2 months ago

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    ZAYA ATMOSPHERE

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    Live music

    Recommended Reviews - Zaya

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    Zaya Cadillac Margarita
    Coco G.

    This was my 2nd time at Zaya. The first time was great. This time was just OKAY. We had a reservation for 9pm and arrived on time. We had to wait about 20mins for our table. There was no room to sit at the bar so we had to wait outside. If you're familiar with DTLA, you know it smells like pee and there is lots of homeless people everywhere. It smelled terrible outside. The waitress was great. Friendly and gave recommendations. The food was good. My zaya cadillac margarita was just okay. I love the decor inside. But the music is way too loud. It's hard to have a convo.

    The tight band who played this night
    Sidney S.

    I'll love you forever. Death is not the end -- Zaya, Gods of Egypt I'm not sure I will say I will love DTLA forever but it does have a certain place in my heart, growing up in S Cal and watching California based movies since I was a child. DTLA is trying to revive itself with more residential units, cleaning up the homeless, more police but it's clearly still struggling. SF has bounced back from the pandemic much quicker. But if DTLA does make it all the way back, it will be because of places like Zaya. Places with solid food combined with tight blues & jazz bands will help get the city core get back in business as new residents move in. We enjoyed the lamb, pasta and pizza plus our starter mixed drinks. Service is hit and miss but I can imagine the staff is mostly new, and certainly young. Corkage fee was reasonable for an LA restaurant. Recommended

    Cobb Salad
    Kathy X.

    I don't know why this place is not talked about more, it has such a cool vibe to it! The interior is so cool and they have a fully stocked bar plus they have live music over the weekends! Their speakeasy shrimp is so good and garlic, it was one of my favorite bites of the evening. I also really liked their vodka rigatoni, it's cooked perfectly al dente and has spice to it. Some other things we tried was the truffle pizza, which was also really good the Cobb salad which was bright. My favorite dessert was the sticky toffee pudding. It was perfectly sweetened and sat in a pool of salted caramel. We also tried their cinnamon roll, which is on the specials menu currently, it was also really good but the sticky toffee pudding was definitely the winner here. Service is great, they are extremely attentive! Everyone that works there is super friendly, and food comes out pretty quick. There is plenty of street parking, I went on a Saturday night and had no issues finding a spot.

    Shrimp and grits
    Kelly A.

    The shrimp and grits were on point and the service was excellent. We started with spinach artichoke appetizer. Catfish platter was delicious and my guest had the cinnamon role pancakes. Well done-I'll be back!

    Date night
    Cedrick K.

    It's bringing tears to my eyes. My beautiful fiancé Ashley aka Carmel kisses! She surprised me 7 months ago to a listen to live music because she knows how much I enjoyed live music. It truly touched my heart because she wanted to surprise her hazel love lol. Our bartender and waiter Eric. Kendal were super nice and great. It was packed and they seated us upstairs so we couldn't watch the live music but we did hear it. And they also took forever on our food. I wouldn't mention it but my lady taught me to stand up and speak up. She would not take anything she did not order. Haha. Which I thought it was picky but she taught me it called paying for a service. Which now shaped the way I think By the way my fiancée is the baddest and with a great soul. Tomorrow is not guaranteed so appreciate the love ones before it's gone and you loose them. I love her for her soul and the way she believe in god and shows it. She's the light in my life that I would never want to leave because I would be in the dark and she's brings out the best in me. I appreciate all she does and the moments we created for 7 1/2 years it's the light_skin_dragon blasting of on cloud nine after this night and btw the food was great but she was my dessert and she tasted so much better and I'm talking about her lovey soul

    Lemon Love
    Letitia J.

    Fell into the Sunday's Encore Brunch situation and we had an amazing time! When you see #EatDrinkLove on the marque you know it's going to be a good time, and it was!!!!!! The Best afternoon in DTLA! Before you ask... PLENTY OF STREET PARKING! First let's start off with the live band and the speakeasy feel! Super amazing music to set the perfect mood! Beautiful atmosphere and it smells like home cooking! Our server Jasmine was the best, had so many good suggestions, we have to come back to try more. Now let's talk about the food! Chef Nae is amazing, her hands are blessed! Just when you thought you knew how to make these dishes, you discover a twist.

    Catfish, gouda grits and cornbread
    LaKendra B.

    My recent visit to Zaya DTLA was a mixed experience. While there were several highlights regarding the quality of the evening, the management of our seating situation left much to be desired. **The Highlights:** The food was undeniably delicious and served quickly, and we were thoroughly impressed by our server, who was both lovely and very attentive throughout our meal. The ambiance of the restaurant is also quite nice, making it an appealing spot for a night out. **The Experience:** The issue arose when we tried to coordinate seating with friends. We had a reservation for three, and our friends had a separate reservation for two. Upon our early arrival, we asked the hostess if the two parties could be seated together. We were informed that to do so, we would be required to pay a $150 deposit--a policy that felt unnecessary given that we were already physically present at the restaurant. After declining the deposit, we requested to be seated at least near one another. The hostess denied this request, stating that they "randomly sit guests." This explanation felt illogical, particularly because upon our friends' arrival, there were clearly two empty tables for two available near us. Instead of accommodating our simple request, the staff walked our friends to the complete opposite side of the restaurant. It was disappointing to see such a lack of flexibility when the space was clearly available to provide a better guest experience.

    Brownie ice cream cake
    Ebony L.

    Me and my partner went on a Thursday night on 06/18/2026. Our reservation was at 6:45 and we were sat immediately with lower level seating. Online it stated that live music started at 7 PM on a Thursday however, live music did not start until 845PM. Despite that the playlist that they had playing was actually perfect. We found the playlist selection to really do well with my partner, and I, and it was loud enough that you could still have a conversation with the person you're with. When the live music did start, we noticed it was a lot louder, which made it difficult to have conversation. However, the live band was actually very good. So it depends on what you're looking for. The food was amazing. We tried the artichoke dip, shrimp appetizer and steak bistro linguini. Shrimp appetizer and steak linguine were 10/10 fire. Artichoke dip 8/10. The drinks were good. Overall, great date night. I love good music and live music. Definitely competition for Delphi UCA rooftop live music. The food alone kills Delphi UCA.

    Caesar Salad
    Abria A.

    I came here for brunch while visiting LA. I arrived about 15 minutes after they opened, but it seems like they were still setting up. I did not have a pleasant experience and probably won't be back. Once I was seated it took me about 7 minutes to be acknowledged and get a water. This was after I stopped someone passing by. I then had to have someone flag my server down again when I was ready to order. I was never asked if I'd been there before, never offered any information or recommendations on the menu. I never got my server's name when she came over, and she may have checked on me once while I was there. Each time I needed something, I had to flag someone else down to assist. Overall, there were about 3 different people that had to help me due to the lack of attentiveness from my server. I think the level of service was poor, especially considering I was 1 of 2 occupied tables in the space. The Caesar salad was mid at best and the crab cakes were good but nothing special. It is a cute spot and they did have live music starting at 1pm I believe, but the service is definitely lacking. For the bill I had at the end compared to the service I probably will not be back.

    Nice ambiance
    Rich R.

    Service was great. Margaritas spot on and food was delicious. Nice staff and the ambiance was spot on.

    Micaela M.

    Zaya has been a place that has been raved about for so long, and after a few attempts at going, I finally decided on Father's Day as I felt like it would be a great time to go. Parking was a bit annoying, but it is DTLA, so that's to be expected lol. But the hostess was so sweet and made us feel right at home as I waited for the rest of the party to park and arrive. Immediately as we stepped into the place, I loved everything about the restaurant, from the decoration, to the upstairs downstairs flow, the DJ addition, and the overall set up the had to offer. The menu had a decent amount of options, and after talking with our waiter, who was decent, we chose the side of fried lobster, chicken and waffles, vegan zaya platter, and catfish platter. The standout was definitely the fried lobster, which we all said we would come back for just that again. Everything else was cool, but for the price, it seemed overpriced, especially seeing the small portions served. Although it felt like we came a little early to fully enjoy the entertainment to the fullest, we still had a wonderful time during our visit. The music, the host, and all the fun activities they had all made it what it was. My dad also won a free car wash for his Soul Train dance, but he has not yet been reached out to about that, so hopefully he'll receive that!

    Live Jazz band

    Great good wonderful atmosphere bye live jazz and DJ big birthday celebration. It was amazing.

    Fang W.

    Such a vibe...live band was amazing I haven't been able to find dinner and jazz anywhere! Food is good, our pizzas were surprisingly good the dough was crispy yet a little chewy which is what i like. Service is great too, everyone seems like they're having fun which always helps. Can't wait to be back!

    Inside the restaurant area. Live music in the back!

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    Zaya Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Zaya

    Can I bring a birthday cake?

    I've seen groups celebrating birthdays with cake; just call ahead to make sure.

    Do you have live music on Sunday evenings?

    No, the live music is only in the afternoon for sunday brunch.

    Is there seating for shows?

    Limited seating; you may need to make a reservation in advance.

    Are kids welcome to join or is it 18+?

    21 plus I believe

    View All 9 Questions

    The Lucky Tiki

    The Lucky Tiki

    4.4
    (55 reviews)
    5.6 mi

    The Lucky Tiki in Highland Park is the sister location of the original Lucky Tiki in West…read moreHollywood. This spot opened about a year ago, and has a cool speakeasy style entrance at the Highland Park Bowl bowling alley. It is a small space, and I would highly recommend making a reservation on Resy. You have 90 minutes to drink and dine. I parked behind the bowling alley where there is a medium sized pay parking lot. Park in a space, remember your space number painted on the ground, and go to the pay station at the end of the lot. I found the parking machine to be extremely finicky as did other people. After ten minutes of failure, I ended up moving my car to another space, and then it worked. This has nothing to do with the Lucky Tiki, but FYI if you park there. We walked around to the front of the bowling alley, and checked in. Seating options include at the bar, tiki hut booths, and high top tables. The décor inside is a tiki lovers paradise. The room has a high ceiling with many tiki lamps, floats, puffer fish, tiki huts, thatch, ropes, barrels, netting, carvings, a hanging canoe, and a large tiki right in the middle of the space. In addition to the great décor, when you order certain drinks, special effects are triggered. There was also great tiki music playing all evening. We sat at the bar since we always enjoy talking to the bartenders. We actually ran into Skipper Christian in the parking lot on the way in, and he ended up being our main bartender, with Nick and Jo also working behind the bar. We put in a food order right away. The chicken potstickers ($12) came with five tasty bites, and the garlic teriyaki dipping sauce was good. We also had the giant pretzel ($16) which comes with mustard, beer cheese, and ranch sauces. This was excellent, and the perfect filling snack before a bunch of drinks. My first drink was the Siren's Song (Flor de Cana Eco rum, lemon juice, cassis, Oloroso sherry, apricot foam topper, $19). This drink is served in a great mermaid with skull mug and triggers special sound effects and bubbles fill the air. Those bubbles on top of the drink had a great light citrusy apricot flavor, probably the best flavored bubbles I've ever had. The drink itself was very good and balanced with some complexity. She wasn't sure what to order at first, and Christian asked her what flavors she liked. He ended up making a spin on a Tradewinds with some mango and pineapple to go along with the apricot and coconut. It was nicely balanced and not too sweet, even with all that fruit in there. My second drink was the Sun of Suns (Tierra de Acre mezcal, coconut cream, Giffard mango liqueur, pineapple juice, lime juice, $17). This was coconut and pineapple forward with some good smokiness in the background. Her second drink was the Whatever Floats Your Boat (Ford's gin, lemon juice, velvet falernum, orgeat, passion fruit syrup, guava soda, topped with hazelnut passion fruit foam, $19). It is served in a cool boat mug, and triggers thunder sound effects and lighted mechanical Polynesian tiki characters paddling a canoe over the bar. This was another good balanced drink. It was a little gin forward and the passion fruit popped out, maybe from being both in the drink and the foam top. That creamy hazelnut passion fruit form on top is delicious. I'd happily have a glass of that on its own. We were still a little hungry so we ordered the Hawaiian pizza (marinara, diced pepperoni, red onion, pineapple chunks, hot capicola ham, $16). It was another good tasting, perfectly sized snack, and the crust was light and airy. We were already fifteen minutes over our time limit, but we got the green light to stay longer to order a third drink to share. We ordered the Tiki Diablo (Flor de Cana Eco rum, Worthy Park 109 rum, Alma Tepecha chile liqueur, orange juice, lime juice, mango syrup, guava soda, $24). This drink serves two people, is served in a cool volcano bowl with glowing red lava around it, and comes with a fire show. Unfortunately, right after it was served, the host came over and said we were over our time and had to leave shortly. Christian made up for it by giving us two tall pours to go enjoy in the bowling alley bar area which was fine. We were happy we got some extra time inside. The drink was also very good, balanced with a little complexity. We had a great time. There is so much great décor to look at. The drinks and food were very good, and some of the the drink presentations and special effects were the icing on the cake. All of the bartenders were very friendly and a lot of fun. We purchased up a few zombie glasses to take home as a souvenir. I'd definitely recommend visiting the Lucky Tiki in Highland Park!

    Adorable speakeasy with a fortune teller as a doorbell…read more Drinks 3/5 Painkiller $18 - This drink comes out with a show as they light a part of it on fire. I didn't fancy the flavor and this is a very popular drink so it stinks up the place every time it gets served to someone. Dark Magic $18 - Objectively not a bad drink but too tart for my partner and I didn't prefer the flavor. Service 5/5 Standard service. Our waitress got us some free shots, very kind. :) Ambiance 4/5 I love the vibes, the darkness, the decor. It's just too stinky and smokey whenever they serve the Painkiller.

    Photos
    Tiki hut booth
    Tiki hut booth
    Sailor at the Bar Entrance
    Sailor at the Bar Entrance
    Hard carved and painted Giant Tiki at Lucky Tiki

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    Hard carved and painted Giant Tiki at Lucky Tiki
    The Mulberry

    The Mulberry

    4.0
    (127 reviews)
    10.9 mi

    I've taken too long to review this fine place!…read more I came here with my daughter in honor of Morher's Day. JM, the manager was super nice and helpful. He even surprised us with the delicious dessert. Elizabeth was so sweet and always on hand to make sure we were happy. The service was perfection and the food was in a class of its own. Do not hesitate and order their chicken! It's no wonder everyone keeps raving about it!

    Elevated Korean cuisine in a good way but the price is a bit higher than others in east la with the…read moresame concept. Perhaps this is the price for west la for lacking in korean notes. Vibes were DATE NIGHT. Parking is horrible. Space is tight. Cocktails - GOOD. The "banana milk" was a more slushy like banana makgeolli. I really liked Hailey's sikhye slushy super refreshing Food - well balanced, subtle rich tastes, only con is the spicy foods were not spicy???: -Kimchi pancake 7/10 thicker than regular, still very crispy. -Fried crispy chicken 7/10 regular -Spicy silken tofu skew 10/10 the broth was excellent rich zucchini/mushroom extract flavor, silken tofu & meat taste/texture were not muted vs standard bcd soondubu -Chilled acorn noodle 9/10 refreshing -Bluefin tuna bibimbap 8.5/10 this was good but tuna/fish roe bibimbap was nothing too special aside from putting $$$ ingredients. Can easily remake this at home -Stir fried hen of the woods mushroom 9.5/10 really good mushroom rice cake -Spicy braised black cod- fish was cooked well but nothing phenomenal. Ordered bc it sounded interesting with the ingredients but I couldn't taste the chrysanthemum or spice Desserts did not CALL for us. Bingsoo is from Korean ice co down the road, which personally I am not a huge fan of

    Photos
    The Mulberry
    Salad, had too much white lettuce which was very bitter 7/10
    Salad, had too much white lettuce which was very bitter 7/10
    Acorn noodles

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    Acorn noodles
    Thunderbolt

    Thunderbolt

    4.4
    (267 reviews)
    1.3 mi
    $$

    Matt B. and I are living with my parents these days, and one of the benefits of this arrangement is…read morethat we can leave the house quite easily after the kids go to bed. We decided to get a drink to celebrate Father's Day, only to strike out at the first two bars we tried--I guess a lot of places are closed at 9:30 on a Sunday. This is how we ended up at Thunderbolt, a buzzy bar in Echo Park, just far enough away that we'd never made our way over. I loved it immediately. Thunderbolt has the friendly, comfortable atmosphere of a neighborhood bar and the hip aesthetic and high-level cocktails of a millennial boozer destination. (Not that young people can't or shouldn't hang out here, but it seems especially geared toward people like us, who drank at Walker Inn a decade ago.) We ended up sitting next to a guy who regularly drives up from Palos Verdes. I guess the place gets pretty busy, but it was ideal on a Sunday night. Happening but not crowded, with just enough space at the bar for us to grab two seats together. The bartender was great, super helpful and welcoming. He also made excellent drinks. Thunderbolt is one of those bars with an encyclopedic illustrated book for a menu. Not a long menu, just a detailed one, with a lot of information available about each drink. We got a Liquid Picnic and a Barcelonnette--just one round to close out the weekend. Both were delicious. The Liquid Picnic was a smooth, savory gin martini made with London dry gin, tomato, citron, vermouth, rosemary, and black pepper. I learned from the book that it used clarified tomato water. (There was also further reading about the clarification process.) The Barcelonnette was a mezcal sour with Suze, passionfruit, and lime, the foam made without egg white through some geeky mixologist process. Thunderbolt is not our neighborhood bar, but we plan to go back when we can to check out the rest of the menu. It's a wonderful place, well worth a jaunt on the freeway.

    Was charged three times, totaling hundreds of dollars, and waiting for the pending transactions to…read moredrop (or stay :/) in 3-5 business days is no fun. We can't all be made of money, but this shouldn't have happened.

    Photos
    Thunderbolt
    Thunderbolt
    Thunderbolt

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    Zaya - lounges - Updated August 2026

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